Crystal Clear
by Taskemus
Summary: [CrystalxLance] Crystal is Flannery's grandmother, and tells the story of how she met Lance.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon...  
A/N- This is a story about the Pokemon games for Game Boys and Game Boy Advances.. not the TV shows or the games. It's kind of odd... a romance between Crystal and Lance... oh, well, read it if you want to!  
  
  
_He's dead.  
  
Flannery stood by the door of Lavaridge's gym, not quite understanding what her father had just said.  
  
  
  
Your grandfather, Flannery. her Father repeated, almost impatiently, he died in his sleep last night. Looking up, she saw that her father wasn't even crying. He had never really liked his father-in-law, but Flannery had always stubbornly believed that her father would get over it. Obviously, he hadn't.  
  
Suddenly the words began to sink in, and she felt weak, oddly weak, her knees giving in as she dropped to the floor.  
  
A nearby Slugma asked, cocking its head inquisitively.  
  
Flannery stared at the tiled floor, not bearing to look up. Grandpa. Grandpa was dead.  
  
Minutes passed, and finally she glanced up at her father. Dad, are we, uh, going to have a ceremony or something?  
  
He shook his head. We'll talk about this later, all right? Right now I think you should go visit your grandmother. The words sounded forced, and Flannery was sure that mom had persuaded him to say this. This - this is a hard time for her, you know.  
  
Flannery did cheer up a little at the mention of Grandma, though. Her grandmother was an amazing person, always telling stories about when she had been the Pokemon Champion. In fact, the first thing anyone visiting Lavaridge usually did was come and see her, because she had hundreds of Pokemon that were extinct in Hoenn.  
  
Flannery approached Grandma's house, knocking lightly on the door.  
  
There was no answer.  
  
Grandma, it's me! Flannery!  
  
Still no answer. She cupped her hands to the door, and heard faint sobs coming from inside, so reluctantly pushed it open. Grandma never left her door locked.  
  
Flannery's grandmother was inside, tears streaming down her face. Her once vibrant hair was now thin, and gray, and her eyes had lost their sparkle. Her arms wrapped around the neck of the strangest Pokemon Flannery had ever seen - sort of a cross between a dragon and a snake. And it was bright red.  
  
Gyrados, oh Gyrados, he's dead, Lance, my Lance, he's dead, Gyrados- She was sobbing into the Pokemon, not looking up until Flannery came closer.  
  
Flannery said, a little uncomfortable, Uh, Grandma, what is that thing?  
  
Grandma look puzzled for a second. What thi- Oh, him? This is my Gyrados. The only one like it in all of Johto, Kanto, and Hoenn combined.  
  
Flannery must have looked confused, because Grandma said, Most Gyrados are blue. Haven't you seen one yet? They're a bit rare here, I know.  
  
she couldn't think of anything to say, so blurted out,Where'd you find him?  
  
The Lake of Rage, Flannery, which is - Oh, blast it! I can't remember whether it's in Johto or Kanto! There was a pause as Grandma scratched her head, and then sighed. Oh, well. I'll look it up later. Anyway, Lance - your Grandfather - helped me to catch him.  
  
Were you the Pokemon Champion then?  
  
Grandma laughed. Champion?! Of course not! I was just a child then...  
  
Then why did Grandpa - Lance, I mean - help you? Flannery asked, backing away as the giant red Gyrados inched towards her.  
  
Because I'd met him before.  
  
Met him before?! When?  
  
Well... I didn't so much meet him as hear about him....  
  
So you didn't meet him before?!? Flannery shouted, completely puzzled. Oh, Grandma, this is way too confusing! Could you just, like, start from the beginning?  
  
All right,said Grandma, leaning back in her armchair, It was a warm summer's evening, and my Bayleef and I were wandering the streets of Mahogany...  
_


	2. The Lake of Rage

Disclaimer: Still don't own Pokemon...   
  
Crystal leaned back against the Gym's brick wall, rummaging in her pack for an apple. She had walked a long way - practically all the way from Goldenrod - because her bike had broken down. It was getting late, and she needed a place to stay for the night. There was only one house that she knew of here, and it was locked... maybe she could stay at the Gym?  
  
Crystal stood up, swung her pack easily over her shoulder, and stepped up to the door of the Gym, preparing to knock.  
  
Hey, kid! Scram!  
  
Crystal swiveled around, trying to spot the source of the voice.  
  
Dontcha know the Gym's closed?  
  
The voice was in front of her now, and Crystal saw a tall man, dressed all in black - like a uniform. Immediately she recognized him as a Team Rocket Grunt.  
  
Shit.  
  
Hey, are you - Crystal began, but the Grunt cut her off.  
  
I said, the Gym's closed, all right? Sumpthin's goin' on up at the lake. Now scram!  
  
Uh-oh. Was Team Rocked planning something? Already Crystal was familiar with Team Rocket's ways - she had stopped them from illegally cutting off and selling Slowpoke's tails. This was _not_ good. She had to get to that lake!  
  
Crystal started walking, aware of the Grunts eyes following her down the road. Once she had walked down to another street, Crystal paused, dropping her pack to the ground. It really wa getting late, and this lake could be far away.  
  
I suppose I could just sleep out here, Crystal muttered to her Bayleef, but I've never slept on the street before...  
  
Bayleef added conversationally, curling up on the ground.  
  
Well, I guess there's a first time for everything, She yawned, placing the pack under her head as a very lumpy and uncomfortable pillow.  
  
Minutes passed, and soon she could hear Bayleef's uneven snores drifting over to her. Somehow, she just could not get to sleep. The cobblestones beneath her seemed three times as hard as usual, and the small of Fish Pokemon coming from the lake was disgusting.  
  
A Noctowl hooted in the distance, followed by the faint cry of a Furret. Was anything ever quiet here?  
  
The fishy small was stronger now, and Crystal remembered what the Grunt had said. Maybe she should just take a peek at the lake and see if anything was going on....  
  
As she was about to sit up, Crystal guiltily remembered one of her mother's favorite sayings... Curiosity killed the Persian!  
  
But that was nonsense, anyway. All of the Persian she had ever seen were alive.  
  
The Noctowl hooted again, and suddenly all of her doubts were forgotten. She would just hop down to the lake, see what was going on, and then go back to sleep.  
  
Famous last words.  
  
C'mon, Bayleef, we're going on a walk.  
  
it replied faintly, snuggling back down into the grass where it had been sleeping.  
  
Sighing, Crystal threw a Poke Ball, and Bayleef disappeared in a flash of white light.  
  
I guess I'm going on my own, then, she said, to no one in particular, and began walking along the road.  
  
It wasn't hard finding directions to the lake - which she now know was called the Lake of Rage - because there were signs everywhere. It seemed as if wherever she looked, there was a sign for it - on store windows, maps, billboards, even hanging from trees! Obviously this was some sort of tourist attraction.  
  
Crystal found herself, after a very brief walk, past the main mart here, at the entrance to the Lake of Rage. Despite the late hour, fluorescent lights were pouting out of the entry house, which stood next to another dinky Lake of Rage sign - this one illuminated by someone's old Holiday Lights.  
  
Well, it was good to be away from the blaring city lights, but she had to admit that this was a little much.  
  
Crystal pushed open the door to the entry house (still eyeing the Christmas lights warily) and a bell above the door frame announced her arrival loudly.  
  
Immediately two glistening-eyed teenagers dressed all in black jumped out from behind a desk, smiling.  
  
That will be £1000-  
  
Before Crystal even had a chance to protest, one of the teenagers had pulled the money out of her fist, while the other pushed her over to the back exit.  
  
Recognize the uniform, sweetie? he whispered into her ear, Yes, that's right - we're Team Rocket!  
  
Then, before she realized what she was doing, Crystal was fumbling with a Poke Ball at her belt, but the Grunt only laughed and shoved her out of the rear door.  
  
Hehehe - we're really getting a lot of money out of this, she heard him say, as the door was slammed in her face.  
  
Well. There was nothing to do but go on. Sighing, she knew that there was no way she was going back to sleep tonight.  
  
The air on the path ahead of her was smothered in fog, and the entry house's light was soon lost in the dense undergrowth. Crystal hoped that this lake was close, because the ground was as muddy as a creek bed in the rain - maybe muddier.  
  
Then suddenly the thick grass cleared out, and she saw the lake.  
  
It was huge, the largest lake she had ever seen, and was pure black in color. The crescent moon shined down, focusing on the miniature ripples in the water. As she watched, the tall pines near the shores rustled back and forth in the wind. Everything was quiet, and peaceful, and Crystal paused by the water just to watch the calm lake.  
  
It was a breathtaking sight, yes, but she didn't see why it was so special. It was really just another lake... not at all a tourist attraction.  
  
Then clouds drifted over the moon, and it was completely dark. Crystal lay back in the sand, waiting. Fog sifted down from the sky, shrouding the entire lake in a deep, mysterious mist.  
  
The night air felt cooler now, and she shivered. Suddenly she felt as if a million eyes were watching her from the water.  
  
But Crystal didn't move, aware of the waves lapping up onto the shore, now fiercer than normal.  
  
All of a sudden she heard the roar of approaching waves, and a wall of water was towering above her.  
  
Crystal stood rooted to the spot as the gigantic waves advanced her. They crashed down on her, throwing her violently to the ground.  
  
She lay there, in shock, feeling the sand sticking to her wet clothing. She felt her teeth chattering. This water was freezing!  
  
Ouch. Crystal grimaced. Something was jabbing into her leg-  
  
Suddenly a larger wave smashed into her, water flowing easily this time into her lungs.  
  
AAH! Crystal swallowed, groping madly around in the water, even though she was still lying on the ground. She had to get out of here, she was going to suffocate, she was going to -  
  
And then the waves washed back out into the lake. Crystal spit the water out of her mouth, coughing madly. The sound echoed eerily around the lake shore.  
  
Hey - is anyone out there? a voice shouted from somewhere behind her.  
  
Crystal jolted up, trying to make her voice work. Out of the corner of her eye she saw only a small wave coming near. For now, the coast was clear.  
  
Yeah - what's going on? she called out hoarsely into the distance.  
  
There was a faint answer that she could not understand, and then Crystal saw someone approach in the distance.  
  
The person was looking around the shore carefully, pausing to peer under every log and piece of debris. Whoever it was was still moderately far away from her.  
  
I'm over here!Crystal shouted, forcing herself to sit up taller. Her leg hit against a log and the pain of it doubled.  
  
The person dropped whatever it was holding, and raced over to her.  
  
The moon was still covered, so Crystal could not tell if the person was male or female until he spoke.  
  
Are you O.K.? he asked, bending over to examine her.  
  
Yeah, I think so,Crystal responded doubtfully, my leg feels kind of funny though....  
  
  
The person swore under his breath, then looked back up at her. I can't see anything.  
  
He paused for a second, then opened up a Poke ball.  
  
A huge red dragon Pokemon appeared on the ground, its head rising feet above Crystal's. A large flame at the end of its tail illuminated the lake, and it looked up at the sky and roared. It was the most majestic Pokemon she had ever seen, and it seemed to know that.  
  
There, now we have light, the person said nonchalantly, inspecting Crystal's leg.  
  
she responded, eyes still glued to the Pokemon,You. Have. A Charizard.  
  
He laughed. Yeah, I do. I take it you've never seen one?  
  
Only in pictures, she admitted, and the person fell silent as he examined her wound.  
  
In Charizard's light Crystal could see her helper better, and noticed in shock that his messy hair was almost the same shade of blue as her own. She had never met anyone else with blue hair before.  
  
His eyes were dark brown and determined, fitting in perfectly with his small, sharp nose.  
  
He was dressed oddly, not at all of the city. Large black gloves adorned his hands, and his feet were covered by strong boots of the same color. He wore a thin, black coat, and heavy dark pants, and topped all of this off with a red cape.  
  
Whoa. A cape.  
  
Hey, do you always wear a cape, or is it only when you're rescuing people?  
  
He laughed again, this time looking into Crystal's eyes.   
  
Actually, I always do. Where I come from, a small town pretty much like this one, anyone who's good with dragon Pokemon wears a cape. It's sort of tradition.  
  
Crystal replied, looking at him with new respect. He was definitely from Kanto, or maybe even Hoenn!  
  
The person took a last look at her injured leg, then looked back up at her.  
  
You're O.K., I'm pretty sure you've just been bitten. You should have someone look at it in th-  
  
Wait a second! Crystal shouted,What do you mean, I've been bitten?!  
  
Bitten by one of the Gyrados in this lake, most likely one of the ones that attacked you. he replied calmly, throwing a Poke Ball at Charizard.  
  
Gyrados didn't attack me, it was these waves...  
  
The person shook his head. No, it was the Gyrados. Trust me, I've been watching this lake. Something is forcing all of the Magikarp to evolve early, and they have become angry, and are attacking everyone who comes near this lake. I think this is because of a strange red Gyrados that recently appeared here, but I'm not sure.  
  
So to stop all of this, somebody would have to catch the red Gyrados? Crystal asked, yawning.  
  
He nodded. Look, sorry to change the subject, but I just realized that I never told you my name. I'm Lance. He extended a hand.  
  
Crystal shook it. I'm Crystal.  
  
Right. Now it's getting kind of late - you'd better be getting back. Can you stand up?  
  
I think so... she replied, trying to hoist herself to her feel unsuccessfully.  
  
Here, let me help you, Lance said, extending his hand, and Crystal took it gratefully.  
  
They hobbled along the road until they reached the entry house. The lights were still on , and she could see from the window that the Grunts were still there.  
  
Don't go inside, Lance said darkly, they'll try to steal another £1000 from you.  
  
Crystal nodded. Then how do we get back to Mahogany?  
  
Jump the ledges, Lance replied, You should be able to do that, even with your leg.  
  
He was telling the truth - the ledges had been jumped over so many times that now all you had to do was step over them. Crystal did this easily, and found herself back in Mahogany.  
  
Where are you staying? Lance asked, as they turned the corner by the mart, I'm at this house - he pointed - but I should really walk you back. I mean, with your leg and all...  
  
No, it's fine, I'm close. Crystal replied, her heart pounding. For some reason, she really didn't want Lance to know that she wasn't exactly staying anywhere.  
  
All the more reason to walk you, then! he said cheerfully.  
  
Well... actually... I just got here. So I'm not staying anywhere yet.  
  
Lance accepted the information readily.  
  
Ok. I'm staying with Mr. and Mrs. Levine next door from the mart. They're asleep now, I'm sure, but they're very nice and won't object if you sleep on the couch tonight.  
  
Crystal opened her mouth to decline, then thought better of it. Sleeping on a couch for free would be much better than staying on the street or trying to find somewhere else at this hour. Besides, she was really tired, and knew she could trust Lance.  
  
Crystal said, walking behind Lance as he quietly opened the door and creeped inside. Finding the couch, she immediately lay down and fell fast asleep.  
  
_   
Then what happened, Grandma? Flannery asked, leaning forward in her seat. How did you find the red Gyrados? What was going on with Team Rocket?  
  
Grandma laughed. Patience, Flannery. I was asking myself those same questions when I awoke the next morning...._


End file.
